Death of a Dancer

by Irena Nieslony

  It wasn’t long before they were back at Carlotta’s apartment. Rachel parked up and rushed over to Carlotta who threw her arms around her.

  “They’ve got him.” Carlotta exclaimed.

  “I know. Peter rang.”

  “I told you, sweet on you.”

  Rachel couldn’t help but grin.

  The police officer nodded to Rachel indicating they should go upstairs and Rachel nodded back.

  “I’m so nervous,” Carlotta said.

  Rachel squeezed her hand to reassure her.

  They went up in the lift, but when they got out, Carlotta refused to move. The police officer went ahead to her apartment.

  “The door’s open,” he shouted. “I’ll look around inside.”

  After a few minutes he came out.

  “It all looks alright.”

  Carlotta breathed a sigh of relief and she and Rachel went to the apartment. Carlotta shivered as she went in. It brought back her encounter with Charles so vividly.

  “I’ll be off now if that’s alright,” the officer said.

  “Thanks very much for your help,” Rachel spoke as she led him to the door.

  “I think I’m going to sell the apartment,” Carlotta said.

  “I don’t blame you, but you might feel differently in a few days time.”

  “Perhaps I will. After all, you didn’t give up on Oakfield even though all those awful things happened there.”

  “I nearly didn’t, Carlotta. It really was touch and go, but Oakfield was in my blood. I had loved it as a child so it won me over in the end.

  “Yes, I understand. However, this apartment has no meaning to me apart from being a place to live.”

  They both stood there for a few minutes not saying anything. Carlotta seemed to have gone into her own world and eventually Rachel decided it would be best to get her out of the apartment.

  “So come on then, Carlotta, let’s pack a few things and get you to Oakfield.”

  “I’d like that; I’d like that very much,” she said and headed into the bedroom to pack her case

  Chapter 17

  The following morning, the Chief Inspector woke up early. He hadn’t slept well, waking up many times thinking about Rachel. He was looking forward to the evening. Perhaps they would be able to have a proper conversation and he might build up the courage to ask her out for dinner.

  However, the Chief Inspector was also worried about Rachel. Somebody hated her and wanted to hurt her. Unfortunately, he had made no progress in finding out who this person was. Perhaps it was James Parker. After ruling out Arthur and John Robertson, James seemed to be the most likely suspect.

  Taylor jumped out of bed, deciding to go to the prison that day and question Mr. Parker. It probably wouldn’t do any good and James would deny everything, but he had to speak to him, if only for his own peace of mind.

  * * *

  “Well, well, well, if it isn’t Detective Chief Inspector Taylor. What can I do for you? Or have you come to let me out of jail early?”

  “You didn’t get a long enough sentence in my opinion,” Taylor replied. “After all, you did try and kill Ms Fisher many times.”

  James laughed, annoying Taylor. What did the man have to laugh about?

  “Have you still got a crush on Rachel then, Chief Inspector?”

  Taylor went to say something, but James cut him off.

  “You have, haven’t you? However, she’s quite out of your league, I’m afraid. She’s a successful actress. You wouldn’t fit in her world.”

  Taylor tried not to show it, but the words stung. He had thought the same way until recently. Perhaps he should cancel his reservation at Oakfield and forget about Rachel, but then he thought of James and Josh. They were from her world, but they had both treated her badly. He would never regard her with anything but love and respect.

  “She was much too good for you,” Taylor growled, losing his cool a little, something he rarely did.

  “My, we are sensitive, aren’t we?”

  Taylor took a deep breath. He would have liked nothing better than to punch the living daylights out of James Parker, but he couldn’t let himself go like that. If he did, it was possible he could lose his job.

  "Somebody has been threatening Ms Fisher again. We thought it might be you.”

  “From here?”

  "Don’t be obtuse. I’m sure you have friends on the outside who would do your bidding.”

  James laughed.

  “What a lovely thought, but no. I don’t really want to stay in here any longer than I have to. I’m afraid you’ve got the wrong man. Can’t say I’m sorry that Rachel is being threatened again though. Serves her right for taking what should have been mine.”

  “She didn’t take it; she was given it.”

  “Whatever.”

  “Well, if we do find out you’re behind this, your sentence will be lengthened, remember that.”

  James shrugged his shoulders and laughed again. Taylor wondered if he was losing his mind a little in prison, but he didn’t care. He signaled the guard to take James away.

  Taylor couldn’t help but think he’d had a wasted journey. If James had set up this vendetta against Rachel, he had been very clever and had left no clues that it was him behind it all. What was he to do now?

  * * *

  That evening Carlotta elected to eat in her room. She was exhausted, but Rachel thought she was also being discreet, keeping out of the way when Taylor arrived for dinner.

  Rachel didn’t know what to wear. She knew it wasn’t a date, but still, she wanted to look her best and she took her time over her hair ad make-up. She finally decided on a pencil thin black skirt just above the knee with a very pretty pink silk blouse. She felt she looked professional, but also attractive enough to impress Taylor.

  The Chief Inspector arrived dead on nine. Rachel met him and showed him to his table, something Sarah would normally do.

  “You look very beautiful this evening, Rachel,” Taylor said, getting the courage to compliment her.

  “Thank you, Peter,” Rachel smiled.

  She noticed that Taylor’s black suit was of a higher quality than the suits he wore to work and the pure white shirt and bright blue tie showed off his olive skin perfectly.

  “Here’s your menu,” Rachel said. “I’ll be back shortly to take your order.”

  “You don’t usually serve at the tables, do you, Rachel?” Peter asked.

  "No, but I thought you might like the personal touch this evening.”

  “I'm liking it very much, thank you.”

  Rachel smiled, but turned to go quickly as she knew she was blushing.

  As she went and stood near to the doorway, Sarah came and stood next to her.

  “All going well, Rachel?” she asked

  “I think so. He does look handsome tonight, doesn’t he?”

  “Not bad at all. Are you blushing, Rachel? You do look red in the face.”

  “It must be the heat in here,” Rachel replied quickly.

  Sarah nodded, but thought she knew better. Rachel did seem particularly keen on Taylor and she hoped that he turned out to be a better man than either James or Josh.

  After leaving Taylor to study the menu for an appropriate length of time, Rachel went back to his table.

  "Have you decided?” she asked.

  “Yes, I think I have. It has been a bit difficult as everything sounds delicious, but I think I’ll start with the pan fried scallops with a tomato salsa, peas and a balsamic reduction. For main, I’ll have the beef fillet, medium rare.”

  This was no ordinary beef fillet. André presented it with parsnip and parsley potatoes, and roasted pearl onions in a port wine jus.

  ‘You’ve chosen well, Peter. They’re two of our most popular dishes. I hope you enjoy them.”

  Rachel wished she could join the Chief Inspector, but she didn’t think it would be appropriate, so she just served the food and took great delight in his praises of the cuisine. />
  She had just gone over to ask him how his main course was when Walt and Evelyn came dashing in. Like a lot of Americans, they had eaten very early.

  “Oh my goodness,” Evelyn said, trying to get her breath. “Thank heavens you’re both here,” she spoke to Rachel and Taylor. “We had just settled in the sitting room with our coffees and brandies when I decided to look out of the window to see if there was any snow. It had been forecast you see. I had to draw back the curtains and there he was.”

  “There who was?” Peter asked, getting a little fed up of her long winded story.

  “I’m just getting to it. There was a person spray painting Rachel’s car.”

  “What?” Peter exclaimed and jumped up. He made a dash for the front door, followed by Rachel, Walt and Evelyn.

  “I hope he’s not too late,” Rachel said to the others.

  Soon they were outside and they all watched Taylor chasing somebody across the lawn. The other person was fast and ran into a thicket of trees, followed a few paces behind by the Chief Inspector. For a few moments the others couldn’t see anything, but then Taylor came out, dragging the culprit behind him. They could vaguely hear arguing between the two.

  “It looks like he knows the person,” Evelyn said.

  “It does,” Rachel replied, “but I can’t imagine who it is.”

  In no time at all, Peter and his prisoner had reached Rachel, Walt and Evelyn. The other person had his head down.

  Rachel felt nervous, having no idea of who hated her so much. She didn’t know if she really wanted to find out. However, the person threw back his hood and revealed himself. It turned out not to be a man at all, but Detective Sergeant Helen Wilson, Peter’s assistant.

  Rachel gasped.

  “Why, Sergeant Wilson, why have you done all these awful things to me?”

  “Because you were turning Peter’s head. I love him. He should be mine, not yours.”

  Rachel was shocked by her words and didn’t know what to say, but Peter spoke instead.

  “I told you that work relationships are best avoided, Helen,” he said sharply, but then softened his tone. "I'm sorry that this has happened as you had great potential as a police officer.”

  “Had?” Helen asked.

  “I’m afraid your career will be over now. I’ll have to take you to the station.”

  Helen now looked lost and alone and Rachel almost felt sorry for her, almost, but not quite. After all, Rachel had done nothing wrong.

  Taylor took Helen to his car, took some handcuffs from his boot and cuffed her. He put her in the back seat and locked the car.

  He went back to Rachel.

  “I’m afraid I’m going to have to cut the evening short as I’ll have to take Helen to the station.”

  “I know. It’s a pity, but at least I’m going to feel safer now.”

  "Yes, thank goodness.... I had a lovely time this evening.”

  “So did I.”

  Taylor gave Rachel a kiss on the cheek. She felt tingly and thought she wouldn’t wash her face for a week! However, she did wish it had been a proper kiss, but Walt and Evelyn were watching and she knew how shy Taylor was.

  The Chief Inspector was half way back to his car when he came dashing back.

  “I haven’t paid for my meal.”

  “Oh, no you haven’t. Perhaps we can sort it out tomorrow?” Rachel asked boldly, hoping he’d say yes and they’d see each other again the next day.

  “As long as you save me a piece of that coconut and Malibu cheesecake. I was going to have that as a dessert.”

  “It’s a deal.”

  Rachel watched Taylor leaving, thinking that perhaps life was getting better now. Finally she had met a man who would actually make her happy.

  “You look so good together, a perfect couple,” Evelyn said, with Walt nodding behind her. “Just hope they put that nutty lady away for a good long time. You don’t want her bothering you.”

  Rachel shivered. She hadn’t thought about Helen being released from prison and perhaps stalking both her and Taylor. However, she took a deep breath and decided to put Helen out of her mind. Life was good. She had a flourishing acting career, a successful hotel and a promising new relationship. No, nothing could go wrong now.... or could it?

  Copyright © 2016 by Irena Nieslony

  Originally published by My Weekly at DC Thompson [UK]

  Electronically published in 2016 by Belgrave House

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

  No portion of this book may be reprinted in whole or in part, by printing, faxing, E-mail, copying electronically or by any other means without permission of the publisher. For more information, contact Belgrave House, 190 Belgrave Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94117-4228

  http://www.BelgraveHouse.com

  Electronic sales: ebooks@belgravehouse.com

  This is a work of fiction. All names in this publication are fictitious and any resemblance to any person living or dead is coincidental.